Trapped
by GinnyPotter387
Summary: Ginny's voice was dry as she bore her gaze into Malfoy with haunted eyes, He wants us dead doesn't he?: A Knight Bus crash has them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Now Ginny and Draco must uncover the link that brought them to their inevitable fate.
1. The Knight Bus

A/N: I'm taking a break from Seven Days to have my turn in an angsty, mystery type D/G.  I just recently got really tired of my other D/G's, even if some people haven't.  So I'm sorry, I don't know when I'll continue that one, but give this one a try!  You never know where the twists may take you.

A lot of questions are raised in this chapter that _will _be answered in future ones, so don't worry about that!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot.  Not the wizarding world.  Not Ginny.  Not Draco (*cries*).  Not nothin'! It's all J.K. Rowling's.

Trapped 

Chapter 1: The Knight Bus

"The Burrow.  Ottery St. Catchpole," Ginny Weasley said clearly to the young man, not feeling an ounce of anxiety even though it had been one year since she had seen a single member of her family.

She was nineteen, just a year fresh out of Hogwarts. Ginny worked for the Daily Prophet, writing all kinds of articles, usually taking over pieces on Voldemort. She didn't have much faith in other journalists when it came to news concerning that. People always made cracks about 'where was The-Boy-Who-Lived when they needed him'. 

Voldemort had gotten stronger, and the deaths were starting again.  A certain murder had hit home when Ginny's family received the letter that Bill, who had been going undercover as a death eater, was killed when Voldemort found out who's side he really was on.  It had been a year ago, and the fact that Ginny hadn't seen her family since was no coincidence. 

She hated emotions, and struggled with dealing with them.  Her brother's death caused a hole in her heart and in her family that was never quite mended. When Ginny told her mother that she felt she was being a hassle and had to go look for a flat and work on her own, she promised she would call and would visit often.

Ginny knew then that it wasn't true.  Every time she looked at her family, she thought of Bill.  She would look over at the empty seat at the dinner table, knowing whose body should have been filling it.  Saw his pictures on the dresser, smiling at her as though he were still there.  But she couldn't get to him, she couldn't talk to him, she couldn't touch him. Couldn't smell his cologne, or hear his voice. 

So Ginny settled with writing letters.  It made her feel better about the absence from her family's lives.  Ron had said he was off on a job and wouldn't be around for a while, Fred and George were busy with their joke shop, Charlie was still working with dragons in Romania, and Percy still wasn't speaking to his family.

Ginny didn't want to abandon her family like Percy had but months flew by and she hadn't even noticed that it was already a year until she received the letter from a desperate Molly telling her to come down to the Burrow for Christmas.  

Her mother had asked her not to try to apparate or go by floo because the recent attacks had caused her parents to block those means of transportation from the Burrow. 

So that was what brought Ginny stepping up onto the Knight Bus after telling the overeager conductor where she was headed.

And with one look in the bus Ginny wanted to run right off it.

Of course, she thought bitterly. Of _course_ Draco Malfoy would be the only other rider on the bus at 8:00 in the morning. Not daring to make eye contact with him, Ginny took a seat in the front by the boy who introduced himself as 'Stan', behind the driver 'Ernie'.  

She immediately knew why Malfoy was in the _back_ of the first level of the bus. It was because no matter how uninterested she seemed to be, how tired she pretended she was, Stan would not shut up.

"Where'ya headed to?"

"Oh, my parent's house. Christmas." She said it almost in a tone that implied it was none of his business, but it rolled off his back.

"What'choo say your name woz?"

Ginny coughed to keep herself from saying that she never mentioned her name to begin with.  And for a reason. "Weasley.  Ginny Weasley."

"Weasley!" Stan looked like he was meeting a movie star, as he gaped at her. "I oughta known it woz! Wich your red 'air! 'Course ya'are!  Dincha know it, too Ern?"

"Ar," said Ernie.

"We get choo Weasley's from time to time. Don' we, Ern? Don' we?"

"Ar."

Ginny wondered how a man of so little words didn't think of killing himself when in the company of Stan.  She was considering it herself. "Yes, well we're a big family."

Ginny heard a derisive snort from the back of the bus, and turned to glare at an impassively innocent Draco Malfoy.  She turned back to Stan, who was saying something, but she didn't actually hear words coming out of his mouth. 

She nodded numbly for a while, occasionally muttering 'sorry?' if he had appeared to ask a question, before eventually tuning him out completely.  She laid her head against the cool window. Her eyes drifted close...

Suddenly Ginny was eating happily with her family.  It was Christmas Eve dinner.  She was about to offer some mashed potatoes to Bill, and turned her head to ask him before realizing he wasn't there.  He wouldn't ever be there.  Very numbly she put the plate of potatoes back on the table, before snapping to attention as she heard a loud bang. Someone was at the door! It was Bill! He wasn't gone after all! She lurched ahead to hug him, her arms enveloping over nothing...she was falling forward, forward, forward...

_THUD_!

Ginny flew off her seat, waking up from her brief slumber.  She threw her hands out in front of her, squatting dog-like in the aisle.  She looked up at a very white-faced Stan, and back at Malfoy who was hanging on to the metal bar above his head for dear life.  

The bus was rocking like crazy, snow was falling steadily out of the windows and Ginny couldn't see anything.  Suddenly with a horrible jolt she felt something heavy push into her hip, realizing it was the bus itself. 

The entire left side had caved in with a bang as they crashed into something in the area.  They were falling now.  Tumbling.  She lost sight of everything, and gave up the inevitable, letting her body fly with the bus.  At one point she heard Stan's screams, saw Ernie fall away from the wheel.

And in the next moment, everything went black.

***

"Ow! Oy, _god, what? _I'm up, I'm _up_!" Ginny's hands sunk into the snow as she hoisted herself into sitting position.  She glared at her surroundings, for a moment forgetting why she was here before remembering her horrible misfortune.  "My god, Malfoy. Though throwing a snowball at me from _miles away_ was effective, I think simply shaking me out of my near coma would have been less painful."

Malfoy glared down at her, not miles but feet away.  He crossed his arms. "What a cute thing to think.  Me, putting a clean hand on filth."

Ginny snarled in response. 'Clean hand' was a small overstatement.  On the contrary, both of Malfoy's hands were cut up and streaked with dried blood.  She then inspected her own body, taking note of the bruises on each arm and the sharp pain that presented itself whenever she made a sudden twist of movement in her hip.  "Oh yes," she said sarcastically, gritting her teeth as she barely managed to heave herself into standing position with the help of her weak arms. "I forgot that all Weasley's have cooties."

Malfoy shrugged. "Bound to have some sort of disease."

Frustrated, Ginny kicked at the light layer of snow that stretched on for miles. "Where are we?"

"Oh, _damn_," Malfoy said in mock incredulity. "Can you believe I forgot my map?"

"Fine. _Fine,_" Ginny muttered looking around idly. "It's just, there isn't a road for ages."

"Yes, well, the Knight Bus hardly cares about roads."  His eyes traveled to the beaten up bus lying on its side a few yards away.

"I know!" she snapped. 

"That's a first."

"What did we crash into?"

Malfoy laughed aloud at her.  It was so cold she could see his breath. "I was a little pre-occupied with trying to literally hold on to my life."

Ginny vaguely remembered seeing him gripping the hand bar for dear life before she had blacked out. "But there's nothing out here! It's just flat lands and mountains way in the distance!" She outstretched her arms fully spinning around before looking at Malfoy again. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"Well how the hell am I supposed to know?" He shoved his hands into the pockets of his heavy black cloak, desperately trying to keep warm. "Maybe we crashed a while back, and the fall brought us out here."

"Yeah," she laughed to herself. "Maybe."

"Look you can go crazy out here trying to figure out the mysteries of the world, but if you can stand life without me, I'll be leaving now."

"Huh?" Ginny mumbled dumbly. 

The derision from Malfoy's voice was so thick that Ginny could practically feel it giving her a blow to the stomach. "Weasley, we're _magic_."

She hated him talking to her like she was an idiot.  She was one of the most respected columnists for the Daily Prophet! Who the hell was _he?_ "So what are you going to do?  Try to summon your broom from your Manor to...Oh wait, we don't _know _where we are." 

Malfoy blinked. "No, Weasley.  I'm going to do a little trick I learned around 7th year.  And no it's not the killing curse – because if I knew that I would have used it already."  Ginny wasn't sure if he meant using it on himself, or on her.  She decided she didn't want to know. "_Apparate._"

Of course! She was too proud of him for reminding her that that was an option to be mad.  She would simply apparate to Ottery St. Catchpole.  If she couldn't apparate directly into the Burrow because of the spells protecting it, she could at least be a lot closer to it than she was now.  Or least have some idea of where she even was.  

Ginny squeezed her eyes tight, her hands balled into fists at her side as she thought of the quaint little town where she used to live.  The cute houses.  The sight of her many leveled teetering home.  The way you could practically smell her mother's cooking from miles away...

Five minutes passed.

She squinted an eye open, and then the other only to meet the blistering cold, and gentle snow. Malfoy still stood in front of her. "Malfoy."

His eyes were closed. 

"It's not working," she said faintly. 

"Shut up, Weasley." He practically sing-songed it out in utter annoyance.

"Malfoy we can't apparate."

"I'm concentrating, Weasley."

"Malfoy!" 

"Weasley!" he snapped loudly, eyes still shut. "I'm trying to pretend that when I open my eyes I will find myself in the comfort of my Manor.  Away from this place. Away from _you_.  Hearing your whiny voice is sort of ruining this fantasy for me."

"Ooh!" she squealed out in blatant irritation.  

Malfoy reluctantly opened his eyes meeting the sight of her face.  The last thing he wanted to see at that moment.  "You know what? It's protected." He laughed. "This fucking place is _blocked _from apparation!" 

Ginny flinched at the curse word.  It reminded her of Ron, who always got in trouble for cursing at home.  She wished so badly at the moment that she hadn't taken a year to realize how much she missed her family.  "Great," she mumbled, fighting the urge to mention how suspicious this was.  She and Draco Malfoy were stranded because of a crash that can't be explained, into the middle of nowhere that just happens to be blocked from apparation. 

"Well what are we going to do now?"

Malfoy shook his head. "Does it look like I know?  Maybe the Knight Bus still runs.  I can get myself the hell out of here..."

Ginny was about to note that he hadn't said get _us _the hell out of here, when she remembered something.  "Malfoy! Ernie and Stan!" She felt like the biggest creep in the world.  She had forgot about the driver and conductor.

Malfoy's eyes widened, suddenly glancing over at the Knight Bus.  "C'mon," he muttered, jogging over to it.

For a split second Ginny had the urge to whoop for joy at actually doing something right, but then realized that she shouldn't be caring what Malfoy thought of her anyway. 

Ginny followed him, stopping at the tipped over bus.  She walked around it, hoping that the reason Ernie and Stan hadn't come out of the bus was because the door was now the ceiling and they couldn't reach it, rather than the fact that they might not be alive. "One of us is going to have to climb up there, and open the door to get them out."  

"Okay," said Malfoy. "I'll give you a boost."

"Why me!?"  Her voice came out shrill. 

Malfoy shrugged. "Why not?" He smirked, almost daring her to tell him that it was because she was a girl and wasn't strong enough, physically or mentally.

Ginny would have rather eaten a flobberworm.

She grumbled in response, and stepped up onto the first wheel, which was flat on the ground.  She outstretched her arms, managing to grip onto the second wheel above her. She hung limply from the wheel for a moment, before mustering all her strength together, and hoisting herself inch by inch, up and then over. 

With a groan, Ginny managed to end up standing atop the wheel, and carefully walked over to the door.

"Do you see them?" she heard Malfoy call.

Ginny looked down through the door. "They're in there..." she bit her lip, looking at the motionless bodies which were crumpled near the drivers seat. "I think they're...knocked out or something."  _At least I hope so_, she thought. 

"Alohomora," she muttered, watching the door spring open, proud of herself for not complaining to Draco that the door was locked and having to have him remind her for the second time that she was a witch. 

Ginny looked down sadly.  They looked so helpless.  She wished she hadn't been so mean to Stan.  Quickly brushing that out of her thoughts, she performed a levitation charm on them both, and made them float down to the ground. 

"All right," she heard Malfoy say. "They're down."

Ginny nodded, even though he couldn't see her, and a little sloppily, hopped off the bus, landing on all fours.  Malfoy didn't even look at her, let alone offer to help her up.

Huffily, Ginny stood brushing snow off her beige pea coat, wondering why she ever bought the stupid thing since it barely was keeping her warm, and snow was seeping straight through it.  

Ginny walked over to Malfoy, and looked down at Ernie and Stan lying next to each other in the snow.  

Very suddenly she realized what was wrong with the picture.

"Malfoy..." the blood rushed from Ginny's face.  She felt lightheaded. "They're not moving." 

"Well one hardly moves when knocked out or in a _coma_," he snarled.

Ginny was too scared to worry about him making fun of her. "I mean their _stomachs_. Their stomachs aren't moving.  They – They're not breathing." 

She bent down to touch Stan's hand, and jolted back.  It was freezing cold. She was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the weather.

"What are you talking about?" he drawled.  He looked down apprehensively.  "They don't have a cut or a scratch on them," he snapped, bending down.

Ginny reached for Ernie's pulse, then Stan's. "They're not breathing," she repeated. Her voice was shaking now. 

"Weasley, the bus didn't even get hit in the front! The blow was from the side!"

"I know that!" She was panicking now. Ginny swallowed hard.

"Malfoy, there's no pulse," she said faintly, locking her eyes with his. "They're dead."

A/N: Well, my little lambs, that's all for chapter one.  Bear with me on this, I know a lot of things don't make sense but trust me; it's all going to come together by the end.  And I admit, there are a few things even I'm not sure about right now, but I'll figure it out! Heh! For now, just enjoy!

I can't say when chapter 2 will be up, considering I'm a little hazy on exactly where I want this story to take me and because school's starting on Wednesday *cringes*, but I'll get it up A.S.A.P.

For now tell me what you thought, by reviewing!  I love and worship reviewers! :)


	2. The Living Together Scenerio

A/N: Yeah, I know. *sigh* A bit of a delay...Eh heh. :-/ Well, I guess high school is taking over my life, now isn't it? And well...other obsessions *giggles* Not like those are excuses :( But here is chapter 2, I hope you guys like it... Thank you all for your reviews they really make my day more than you could know!!

Disclaimer: Check chapter 1.

***

Malfoy looked away quickly.

"Dead?" he repeated dumbly. 

Ginny nodded, her face as white as the snow surrounding them.

"Oh," he said distractedly. "Right...Okay." He began unbuttoning Stan's jacket.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieked, jumping up.  

"Taking off their clothes," Malfoy said matter-of-factly. "What does it look like?"  He threw Stan's coat to the side, and then began working on Ernie's.

He swallowed disgustedly, telling himself their bodies were only so cold because they were lying on snow. He didn't want to be doing this, but it was survival of the _smartest _after all, wasn't it? 

Ginny spluttered around for a bit. "But...Why?" Her face reddened as Stan's sweater and trousers were removed and all he was wearing were his underclothes.

And Ginny Weasley, he thought bitterly, should be thanking him.  She would be dead without him.  But then, he mused, if she keeps up with her stupidity he may have a hard time fighting off the urge to make her dead with him. 

Malfoy glared up at her. "Because I feel like it," he snarled sarcastically, before working on Ernie's clothes. "Who knows how long we're going to be stuck here Weasley! Hell, we may die here if we don't find a town to get into.  I'm trying to prolong our _lives _by getting us extra _clothes_.  Have you always been this ignorant?"

"Yes," she muttered blandly.  _Die_.  She and Malfoy might _die.  _

"Here." Something warm hit Ginny's face.  It was Stan's green sweater. "Put that on."

Ginny looked dumbly down at it for a moment before unbuttoning her coat, and throwing the sweater on over her long-sleeved shirt, and then putting her jacket back on. "Thanks."  

"Thank him."

Ginny felt like crying all over again.  Maybe I'll be able to soon, she thought warily.  

Malfoy threw the rest of the clothes and cloaks over his shoulder, and walked past her. "Where are you going?" 

"To see what's around."

"Oh." Ginny stood by herself awkwardly for a few moments, "Can I...come?"

Malfoy smirked. "Unless you have some desperate appointment you must be attending at this hour."

Ignoring the sarcasm, Ginny hurriedly ran up behind him following in the tracks that his shoes were making in the snow, as they walked.

_At least_, she thought as she measured the length of her foot against Malfoy's prints, _I won't be dying alone._

***

"I can't believe this," Malfoy said, turning the handle. 

"What if there's someone in here!" Ginny whimpered.

Malfoy opened the door of the cabin slowly, and poked his head inside, looking around. "Stop being so _infuriating_. There's no one here."

Ginny followed him inside. 

Her mouth dropped open.  "Wow..." she breathed

"Unreal," Malfoy said. 

"Someone must own this." Ginny looked for sight of picture frames on the mantle. There were none.  "Maybe they only come out here in the spring or something."

"It's a log cabin!" Draco sneered. "They obviously rent it during the winter!"  He peered inside the only two other rooms in the house, and Ginny distinctly heard him mutter 'idiot' under his breath. 

"Fine," Ginny snapped, "They rent it during the _winter_.  Must've gone home for the holidays."

 "Yes, _must've_," he called out, mockingly. "Snazzy bedroom," Malfoy announced from the room that the main entrance branched off into. 

Ginny huffed and rolled her eyes at his stupid, corny and sarcastically lame remark. He was just trying to be overly chipper to annoy her.  That along with his smart-assed remarks that he made the whole half-hour trudge through the snow, until they came across this cabin in the middle of nowhere, were enough to make her want to throttle him. 

It worried her, this cabin.  There was something very strange about it.  It was just...there, and how often was something _there_ right when you needed it; right when you were losing hope?  There was not a town in sight, but someone had built a cabin, a _vacation _spot, in this horrible place?

It was small, just three rooms.  They had walked into the living room.  And looking around, despite her fears, Ginny had to admit it was...quaint.  It was the classic log cabin.  It had a fireplace, a small loveseat with a plaid blanket neatly folded atop it.  There were two pillows on each side of the sofa, and a hearthrug in front of the fire.  A little table and one chair sat by the single window to the right of the couch. Then behind the couch, was an entryway to the bedroom, which then branched off into a very small bathroom.

Ginny's heart couldn't help but fill with joy at the sight of the tub.  All she wanted was to soak in the warm water for hours and hours on end.  

However, she did take notice of the bedroom.  The one bed.  The one queen-sized bed. She glanced a Draco who seemed to be noticing the same predicament.  

"Hmm," he said. "I don't think the couch is going to be as comfortable as this feather mattress but I did see a blanket out there, so at least you won't be freezing, Weasley." 

"No, Malfoy," Ginny spat. "I went on that stupid bus, I climbed up, levitated out two dead bodies, and you think that I am going to sleep on the _couch _for you?!" 

"No," Malfoy answered. "I thought you were going to sleep on the couch for _you. _Hey, if you want to sleep with me Weasel, fine.  But hands off, alright?"

Ginny's mouth opened in horror. "OH!" she cried. "You are the most horrible, disgusting, insufferable human being..." she began, "_ever!_"

"Am I all that?"

"I hate you, Draco Malfoy!"

"The feeling is mutual, Ginny Weasley. The feeling is mutual."

***

Draco had just lain down for bed when Ginny burst through the room. "I'm taking a bath," she announced.

"Thank you for sharing, I'll remember this always."

Ginny set her eyes on him with an icy stare, before bounding into the bathroom, and slamming the door shut.

Malfoy stared up at the ceiling, settling his arms behind his head, but the sound of the water pressure was driving him insane. 

Or maybe it was the thought that he was going to die soon if they didn't get out of here. 

Or maybe it was the thought the he was going to die even sooner if they didn't find food. 

Or maybe it was the thought of a naked girl just feet away.

Malfoy stood up just as the water stopped. 

"Since when does she get everything she wants anyway?" he set his jaw, and pounded at the door. "Time's up."

There was a confused bit of splashing. "What are you talking about?" a voice squeaked.

"Your time is up," he enunciated. "I'm cold, and I need a nice hot shower to warm me up."

"Sucks that you'll have to wait then, huh!?"

"GET OUT," he bellowed. "You think that I really want to be here in this scenario, Weasley? I need something to calm my mind, and god knows you aren't helping that problem."

"For Merlin's sake Malfoy, hold on! I just got in the tub!" 

"Well, then get out!"  He hated this.  He hated living with her and it had only just begun. "You shouldn't be the only one allowed to get warmth."

"Uh huh, Malfoy."

"Are you out?" he snarled.

"Uh huh, Malfoy."

Well at least she understood who was in power here.  He turned the handle, but she hadn't unlocked it yet. "How helpful," he muttered, wiggling it again, the rickety lock shaking from the force. 

Malfoy considered for a moment, before stepping back, breathing twice before thrusting his leg forward and making contact with the door. 

A good deal of water splattered about the room as Ginny splashed around in fright when the door burst open. "_MALFOY -- GET -- OUT -- NOW_!" she screeched, before sinking beneath the bubbles, her bright red hair bobbing above the water being the last thing Draco saw before swiftly shutting the door behind him.

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all he managed was a weak croak. He looked around the bedroom, looking for something to grip onto, and finding nothing, he decided to collapse on the bed.

What had he been _thinking_?  She was naked, for Merlin's sake! 

In a whirlwind of red, Ginny burst out through the door, clinging to the towel she had wrapped around her body. 

"YOU!" she barked. 

Malfoy stood up like a sergeant called to order.  He tried to speak, but the sight of her dripping hair and the creamy white skin that began mid-thigh where her towel ended made him have to clear his throat as he tried not to look at her. "I thought you had gotten out," he mumbled to the floor.

"NO YOU DIDN'T," she screamed. 

Malfoy looked her in the eye.  He had hoped her beauty would wear off with rage but it didn't.  It only made him angrier. "That was hardly a tea party for me either, Weasel!" he snarled. "You think I _wanted_ to see you unclothed? Yes, I'm sure those are my ultimate motives right now," he snarled. It might have been the biggest lie in the world concerning Draco's 'wants'.

Ginny shot daggers at him. "YOU -- SAW --"

"Oh god, NO!" he yelled. "I didn't see anything, I would be throwing up if I had. Trust me," he snapped.

Ginny licked her lips, the redness in her cheeks flowing from both anger and embarrassment now. "Don't you ever," she warned. "Walk in on me anywhere, EVER, again, Draco Malfoy. Or I swear to god I'll--"

He began to laugh. "You'll _what_, Weasley? Tell your brothers to beat me up?"

"When we get out of here--"

"_If_," Malfoy corrected harshly. "_If_, we get out of here."

Ginny stared at him long and hard, beginning to feel the weight of all her worries sag on her shoulders again. Her eyes had glossed over. "Why do you say it like that?" It was nothing more than a slight sob.

Malfoy watched her.  He would not soften in the presence of a Weasley.  He had been with plenty of gorgeous half-clothed girls before...more gorgeous than _Ginny Weasley_! "It's true," he snapped. "Forget about your sugar-coated fantasy with Potter being the valiant knight in shining armor. I'm afraid that's not going to happen. I'm all you've got."

Ginny breathed in such a good deal of sharp air, Malfoy almost thought if she held it in any longer she would burst.  Slowly, she blew out.  "Then I guess I don't have much, do I _Draco_?" It was uttered disgustedly.

She stormed away, exiling herself to the living room to get changed.

Malfoy stared at the closed door. "You've never really had much of anything at any point in your life!" He yelled through the door.

He glared at the place where she had just been standing.  There were little water droplets on the floor.  "Don't you _ever_," he bit out. "Call me Draco."


	3. Late Night Talks, Early Morning Discover...

A/N: You tell me if this chapter gets confusing. I'm not sure...I know a few parts will be, but a lot is going to be explained next chapter. And a ton is explained...or hinted at this chapter!! So read, review, and enjoy! Sorry for the delay and if I don't talk to you sooner, happy holidays everyone!!! :)

Thanks for all the reviews on both chapters 1 & 2...

Mynuet, hpdancer92, picklegal, Veritas Scriptor, Darcel, the-girl-named-kittie, Lady Marie, HeatherWeasley-lover, kei-chan, quill-angel68, mutsumi, Plaidly Lush (*lol* You're review made me laugh), Kristen Michelle, shasjin-saber, PinayAko, Ems, TheSkyIsOrange666, grzz, RubberDuckii, :), lizzie, dEAR AUNt EllAdORA, Xploiting Hypotheories, Lioness-07863, shelly2, hi, Nutsaboutremus, Kelsey McCartney, Ronsrealgirl, Lyric1, Natalia Malfoy, starstrucked,  and harry-potter-luva14 

...you guys rock!! 

Disclaimer: Check chapter 1.

Draco Malfoy stared up at the ceiling. 

The clock on the wall told him it was 4:00 in the morning and that he hadn't slept since he got into bed but he didn't feel it at all.  Something else was overcoming him, a different feeling...not tiredness.  Something he had never experienced... it was...

Weakness.  Fear, maybe. The thought struck him so oddly, he almost had to laugh.  Hell, he was in many situations that could have resulted in death, usually when he was with his father, but he couldn't ever remember _fear_.  Maybe because then he knew somewhere in the back on his mind that there was a way out. But as he lay comfortably in the bed of the quaint little cabin settled in the middle of nowhere, he couldn't feel more of a sense of death.  

It was eerie, really, this place.  What did he even know about it? Why was he even here? Because if he stayed out in the storm with Weasley they would have died? But aren't they just prolonging the inevitable? Someone, an ax-murderer, a psycho killer, a..._death eater_ could break in right at this very moment and...

A shrieking, ear-splitting scream reverberated off the walls of the log cabin, and Draco jumped out of bed, scrambling around.  

"Shit, shit, shit..." he muttered, hopping around the room pulling on his shoes. 

He stood in panic for a moment, listening to some more of Ginny's screams.  He had to get out.  

He saw the window. 

Draco didn't know what was attacking Ginny, but it was probably nothing good. God, it was happening. They had gotten lured into this house, hadn't they?  They walked right in on a trap, and Draco wasn't about to be part of it. 

With one leg out the window, he finally thought of Ginny. He couldn't just leave her. I mean she could die. But what did he care if she died? I mean she was nothing to him wasn't she? She was... She was...

"FOOD! FOOOOOOOOOOD! Glorious food!"

She was eating.

"GOD DAMMIT, WEASLEY!" Draco bellowed, falling over himself, back into the bed room and slamming the window shut.  He barged out the door only to find Ginny sitting on the floor by a trunk in the corner of the back of the living room, surrounded by snacks. 

She looked up, startled, potato chip crumbs around her mouth. She began to say something, stopped, swallowed, and started over, "What is it?" 

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" 

Her eyes lit up like for a moment she had forgotten that they were stranded in an uncharted...cabin. "Eating! Can you believe this food?! I though we were going to starve, didn't you?" Ginny threw him a bag of candy. "Eat." 

Draco threw it back. "Not if you've touched it," he snarled storming back into his room. "And for Merlin's sake wipe your goddamn mouth." 

He slammed the bedroom door.  Except... "Screw her," he grumbled.

He slammed it back open.

Ginny blinked. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Draco barked, swiping a bag of cookies. "I was hungry."

She laughed. "Of course."

Draco sat down next to her a chocolate chip cookie halfway to his mouth. "How do you know this isn't poisoned?"

"What does it matter if it is?" she shrugged. "Do we have another option?"

Draco bit into the cookie. Well, it tasted fine at least. A little stale, maybe. And she had been eating before him, so if she kicked the bucket at least he could know not to touch the potato chips. "Right. So you...were looking around?"

"I guess, yeah." She glanced at him oddly. "Why?"

"Because I want to know what else you found that you could be keeping from me."

Ginny hit her hand to her forehead. "Oh right. Yes, Malfoy. I found a broom and a map, and was planning on sneaking out but damn I was too loud and woke you up.  Guess I can't abandon you like I wanted." Ginny rolled her eyes, unwrapping a piece of chocolate. 

"I would've done the same to you."

"I know," Ginny snarled. "But I won't sink that low."

"I feel better now."

She made a sound in the back of her throat, and turned away.

"You started that?" 

He was referring to the fire that was illuminating the room across from them.  

"Yes."

"And nothing burned down? I'm amazed."

"Thank you."

"Where did you find matches?"

Ginny nodded her head over to the sink area. "Top drawer."

They didn't talk for a while. "So...you couldn't sleep?" Ginny asked cautiously.  She didn't know Malfoy at all, but she did know that she never liked him, and never would. So why was she pretending to care she had no idea.

Draco laughed at her. "And I thought your parents birthed an idiot." 

Now she had even less of an idea.  God, he was plain evil and she didn't have time for that.  He was right; she should have just kept this food a secret, because so far she wasn't hearing a thank you _anywhere_.

Ginny threw her bag of potato chips to the ground with disgust.  They hadn't been in each other's company for 24 hours, but she was so sick of his snide remarks that she wanted to kill him.

But she wasn't strong enough for that, so she said something that may have been ten times more stupid. 

"So why don't you have that skull on your forearm yet?" She hadn't meant for it to slip out and Ginny felt panic wash over with the way that Malfoy looked at her.

"Weasley you think you just know everything don't you?" 

"It's just your father--" her voice was softer now; desperate. Something about his reaction...she knew she touched upon something so sensitive, and so...none of her business. 

"Don't talk about him like we're the same person!" he bellowed, jumping up, leaving the food forgotten on the floor. Ginny stood up too and Malfoy pointed a finger at her as she backed up slowly. She slammed against the wall. "You don't know _shit_ about my father and even _less_ about me."  

Ginny felt like crying and she had no idea why. "I just thought..." she began lightly.

"No one asked you to think," he hissed, his voice low and full of anger. "No one's that stupid." 

Ginny let out a slow, angry breath of air, quickly pushing off the wall, banging into Malfoy's shoulder as she made her way across the room. "You're right -- I don't know. Don't get angry at me for it because you walk around acting like you have it made." God he could cross the line talking about her family ten times, but when she dared to place a toe over it, it was like the world was crashing down. 

"Yeah well who would expect you to understand," he growled, turning around and facing her. "You and your perfect life--"

Her anger and worries that had been building up inside of her ever since the knight bus had crashed now collided with her hatred for Malfoy. "I do not have a perfect life!" she shouted, her face red, her pulled up hair slowly, wildly, falling out of it's elastic all over her face. "Don't you _ever_ tell me that I do."

"You don't know what you have," he snarled.

"How rich, and let me stress the _rich_, it is for you to say that! Malfoy you get everything.  I had never once held the weight of a galleon in my hand until I reached 18 and was working on my own.  For my own money.  I do _not_ have a perfect life," her voice was thick with emotion as visions of the family she hadn't seen in over a year, and Bill, her brother whom she would never see again flashed into her mind.

"Life isn't about money."

"You sure have no problem pretending like it is."

"I haven't _got_ anything else." His eyes were blazing fires staring down at her. 

Ginny let out a breath of angry air. "And right now," she said. "We both don't have anything. And I don't know--"

"You often _don't_."

Ginny breathed in and out very hard wishing that he didn't look so amazingly handsome standing there with his arms crossed, and his perfectly chiseled face set and hard.  Lost strands of hair loosely falling into his forehead. And god that sweatshirt.

What she would give to be wrapped up in something that looked so comfortable and good... Ginny shivered. What the hell was the matter with her?

"Look, we're not going to get anywhere fighting."

"Hey, good call," he growled.

She plopped down on the couch. "Why do I deserve this? What is so wrong with me!?" she cried to the ceiling.

"Allow me..." Draco began.

"Shut up," she snapped. "I have been having the worst _month_. No, _year_. And it's only been getting worse. I mean you," she paused to glare at him. "and that, what was that? That weird encounter in the alley, and almost getting fired and..."

"Hold on!" Malfoy sat down next to her. "A weird encounter in the alley? This month?"  

"A week ago... I guess. I don't know." She shook her head. "Some horrible man was torturing someone. It just shook me up, that's all."  

"What are you talking about 'some horrible man was torturing someone'?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad," he snapped. "You're going to."

She laughed. "Oh right! Yes, high and mighty Draco steps in to tell me what I can and can't say!"

"Oh god, Weasley, just shut up."

"Thank you, I plan on it."

Draco glared at her. "Listen, you don't want to talk, fine. But I'll tell you what you don't want to talk about.  You don't want to talk about what you saw a week ago in that dark alley because it scares you.  Because you think that if you talk about the hooded man in the black robes then that's going to make it real.  Because you've been living in some alternate universe where bad things don't happen.  Where people don't die or get tortured and you deny everything that happens or that's _going _to happen.  Face the facts, Weasley.  It's bullshit.  We didn't just end up here on coincidence."

"YES WE DID." Her eyes were red and her voice screeched.  She didn't believe herself for a second.

"No," he snarled. "You saw him, and you _know_, you _know_ what happened in the alley that day.  A death eater tortured a man, maybe for no reason at all.  Maybe because he was bored.  Maybe because he _could_."

"How do you know all at?" Ginny gasped out.

"Because I was there."

Her mouth fell open slightly. "Why...?" 

"Weasley," he rushed. "I'm going to try to let your stupidity grasp the concept that maybe we're here because of a common link. Maybe we both witnessed something."

"What did you do there? What did you do when you saw the death eater torturing that...person?" She tried calming her nerves.  She tried forgetting about the harsh things Draco had said to her, or about the horrid visions flashing through her mind. 

"I watched."

"You mean..." her voice was low as though she were afraid someone was listening in. "You saw his face? The death eater?"

Malfoy's eyebrows went together. "You didn't?"

"No," she said lightly. "I ran the second I heard the words 'crucio'...But I'm betting Voldemort doesn't no that. So, who was it?"

Malfoy hated her for being so oblivious.  Of _course_ she didn't know, he thought bitterly.  Let him be the bearer of bad news.

"It was your brother," he said lazily. "Ron."


	4. The Trap

A/N: Well it has been... Er, a while!! Heh. But today is my first day of summer so the updates should be more frequent!! I'm sorry about the wait. Thank you all for your reviews.

Thank to everyone who reviewed Ch. 3...

Musii, siri's girl, SamiJo, hpdancer92 (thank you!!!), twinsofthesky (don't we all?), dear aunt elladora (I shall), starstrucked (lol Yes Ron Ron. _The _Ron Ron. Twists? Oh yes. There will be those), Sasatia (YOU DON'T LIKE RON!?!!?), TheSkyIsOrange666, Plaidly Lush (What an odd part of the story to grow fond of), PinayAko, quill-angel68 (Thank you. Don't worry it won't be far-fetched), bigreader (Perhaps), Wander Aimlessly (thanks!), TrippyGirl20051, Ronsrealgirl (lmao Yes. It's all about the Benjamin's), kneh13 (It would be horrible), Ducky06 (I don't know, is he? heh heh), the-girl-named-kittie (I have!), sarah (I'm updating now! It's okay, I plan on finishing), and Kitti Malfoy (thanks!), miss ray317 (Wow thanks! I do hope you're right, but not about everything because then there would be no surprises! lol But you probably have a better plot in mind then even I do. Well, if I get stuck I know who to call! Heh heh.)...

You guys rock!!!

Also thanks to Kristen Michelle who totally meant to review. Just didn't. Actually I doubt she even read chapter 3. sigh. Nice Kristi, nice. Heh heh.

Disclaimer: Chapter one, yo.

* * *

Draco stared at the fire for a long while after Ginny had stormed out of the cabin.

"You're the one," Ginny had bit out quietly, her teeth gritted with a sick snarl plastered to her face, "that has family members on the dark side. Not me."

He hadn't even said anything back. She just stood up, eerily calmly grabbed her coat, quickly slipped on her shoes and stepped outside.

She didn't even the slam the door. He would have rather liked it if she had.

But it had been almost an hour now, and she still hadn't come back. And Draco hated the feeling but he was worried. He convinced himself it was more of the fact that the Weasleys' would kill him if they found out he let her die, and he decided to go looking for her. Just as his hand was on the doorknob he heard a loud crash from the other room and froze, petrified.

Great, he thought, Weasley escapes and now an intruder is coming. She's safe in the cold, and someone is...

Doing what exactly? He was right by the front door, but he didn't move. He heard a few disgruntled pants and then a small click. The window.

Draco crept silently towards the bedroom.

His hand trembled slightly on the doorknob, visions of the death eaters that haunted his memories swarming inside, before he pulled himself together and with all his might pushed the door open.

"WEASLEY!"

Ginny was lying on the floor in a fetal position shaking all over. She glanced up, the red in her cheeks matching her fiery eyes. "Oh," she said flatly with a slight chatter, "I hope I didn't scare you."

"I'm sure." He walked closer to her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Lying on the floor."

"I can see that clearly Weasley, thanks. _Why_?"

She rolled on her other side, facing away from him. "What do you care?" Her voice was drained of emotion.

"Enough to ask."

"Well I don't care enough to tell you."

"You're in my room."

"Deal with it."

"I'm trying to." She still didn't say anything. "Talk to me, Weasley."

"Tell me more lies, _Malfoy_. What was that bit about my brother? I enjoyed th--"

"I don't care if you believe me, Weasley," he bit out. "I just want to know why the hell you felt the need to break into my room."

There was a small pause before, "I didn't want you to know I had come back inside."

Draco bent down next to her. "Well you suck at that game. So were you planning on living in here or something? Because Weasley I would have noticed you here when I came in for bed."

"I know that," she snapped. "I just...I wanted you to...think I was dead. Or something."

"You wanted me to go looking for you?"

She swallowed and for a moment didn't say anything. "Yes."

"You wanted me to freeze, and search for hours?"

"Maybe."

"I almost did."

The whole time Draco was talking Ginny hadn't been looking at him but now when her eyes finally met his he could have sworn they softened a little. "Really?"

"My hand was on the doorknob when I heard the crash."

"Why would you go looking for me, Draco?"

She sounded so sweet and vulnerable and doubting that Draco was amazed at how much he just wanted to keep her that way. With her face all red and her eyes so wide, her hair wildly spread around her. It was really hard to not think about what her lips would taste like at that moment. "I guess...because I...couldn't stand the thought of not having someone being around to piss me off."

She smiled, only partly. "Really?"

But what the hell was he doing? He didn't give a shit about her, and she needed to know that before she gained a little crush on him. The idea of ravishing her while she looked that beautiful was just getting to his head. "No, Weasley," he snarled. "I just thought the last thing I needed was to get put in Azkaban for not even trying to save you."

Ginny's face fell, and she nodded. "Of course." She laughed dryly. "As always."

"As always _what_?"

She sat up, and yanked the entire comforter off the bed, and wrapped it around herself. She faced him again. "Thinking of yourself."

Draco glared at her. And he was supposed to _sleep_ in that blanket tonight? "Well who am I supposed to think of, Weasley?" He smirked, "_You_?"

Ginny shook her head slowly. "No, Malfoy. Forget it."

He shook his head, standing up. "Next time, Weasley, if you want me to think your dead why don't you just do me the actual favor?"

Hot tears stung her eyes. "Right," she laughed. "Yeah, because no one would miss me Draco, right?! Apparently my whole family's on the dark side! They'd be glad, wouldn't they?"

"Don't come running to me when it turns out that the whole reason we're here is because of your brother."

"Like I'd come running to you anyway! God, I'd die of shock if you ever did something genuine!"

"If you die Weasley, that to which we can only hope," his eyes flashed at her, "it won't be my fault."

Ginny attempted a laugh but her throat was so dry it came out as a half groan, half growl. "And who's would be it Draco? My _brother's_?"

"_GINNY, HE IS A DEATH_--"

"_WHY_," she yelled, "WOULD YOU MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP?"

"I WOULDN'T!"

They stared at each other; Ginny sitting on the floor, her knees hugged to her chest covered in the huge blanket, and Draco practically towering over her.

"You believe me," he said lowly.

She turned her head.

"Give it up, Weasley. You knew it all along. Your family's always been this pathetic."

He walked away and just as he closed the door behind him Ginny hurled the muggle clock radio across the room. It smashed against the door with a satisfying crash, before falling to pieces.

And feet away, Ginny fell to pieces too.

* * *

Ginny dragged herself up off the floor and felt her muscles tie together in one big knot.

She felt like such a moron for falling asleep on the floor. She had half hoped that Draco would come in and demand to sleep in "his room" as he called it, just so she could have the satisfaction of telling him to go to hell. But he didn't come in, and 7 hours later, Ginny could barely move.

She caught her reflection in the dusty mirror. She looked like hell. Tear-stained, sticky strands of hair matted to her face while other pieces stood up in angles without rhyme or reason.

Stumbling, Ginny pulled open the door to the living room with one hand, trying to flatten down her hair with the other.

When she entered the room, she was surprised to see Draco sitting at the table staring out the window.

Tentatively Ginny walked toward him.

"Don't you look lovely this morning," he smirked at her, but his eyes were darker than usual.

"Not trying to impress anyone."

"You're doing a damn good job of that, by the way."

Ginny blinked. She was so worn out she barely even remembered what it was she just said. "Doing what?"

"Not impressing anyone."

"Draco, I believe you," she burst out, not even comprehending his answer. The table he was sitting at only had one chair, so Ginny walked towards the fireplace, sitting down on the hearthrug. It felt better not to have to face him.

"Ginny..."

"No, I do."

"Why?"

"I don't know why. I don't know what it means..." she said thickly. "I just know that I do."

He didn't say anything.

"What are we going to do?"

She heard the scraping of the chair, and then Draco pacing the room before she finally felt his presence behind her. "We'll have to leave."

"You think he knows that we're here? That we witnessed the torture?"

Draco bent down next to her. "Voldemort?"

Ginny sucked in a breath. "Yes."

"Yes," said Draco. "I think so."

"But we have shelter. And food... If we didn't we'd – we'd already be..."

"Dead. I know. But they'd find us eventually, the Ministry. It'd be too suspicious. The two least likely people dying together on an uncharted mysterious...place," Draco swallowed. "He has a plan," he said. "He always does." Ginny knew that Draco probably had been up all night coming to this conclusion. It made her hate him just the slightest bit less. "Why do you think this cabin's here?"

"I guess because he's trapping us."

"I guess so."

Something was happening between them. They both knew that this was nowhere near over. That the worst yet to come, and they had no idea what they were going to do about it. And the thought shook Ginny violently that her own brother could be the one behind it all. She swallowed hard, and realized how nice it was to be talking to Draco like this. The horrible and deadly things that they now knew were soon to face them made their previous quarrel almost seem stupid.

Ginny suddenly looked at him, and was surprised to see that the whole time he had been staring at her too. For a wild moment she felt this extreme connection with him and considered telling him that she was scared out of her mind.

Just the thought of it sent a shiver up her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself trying to stop the sudden unbearable coldness.

Wordlessly Draco reached over the couch and handed her the blanket.

Ginny stared at it for a second, before unfolding the heavy material and draping it around herself. Her eyes met his almost vulnerably. "Thank you," she whispered.

Draco stood up with a heavy sigh. "You know what, Ginny?"

He looked down at her with an unreadable expression, and she turned away preparing herself for whatever snide remark he was planning on making now. She couldn't believe she had just thought they'd connected. "What?" It was almost a groan.

"You're welcome."

Ginny turned her head sharply, the fire dancing in the brown pools of her eyes.

Then she smiled.

And in a moment that was extremely uncalled for, a moment where the barrier had been so strongly shattered that you could actually feel the _non-_presence of it...

Draco smiled too.


	5. Into The Storm

* * *

A/N: Immense apologies for not getting this out sooner!! I had a major blockage. Anyways, I made this chapter a bit longer than the last so I hope that kind of makes up for it. Anyways I'm leaving for Bermuda in like an hour but I REALLY wanted to get this up before I left so I'm sorry I don't have time to put in my thank yous for the reviews on the last chapter... 

BUT THANK YOU!!! So much, I loved every review. And next chapter I will thank everyone more personally. I hope you like this, and please review again!

Disclaimer: Check Chapter 1.

* * *

Ginny and Draco stepped out of the cabin the next morning, looking as though they had gained twenty pounds in extra layers of clothing. The sometimes peaceful snowfall had become a raging blizzard overnight, and the air was so bitter Ginny could swear it was probably 30 degrees below.

When Draco had said that they would have to leave the cabin he meant it, but Ginny hadn't realized the reality of that statement until they were actually out of their shelter. "We have to walk in this?"

She looked back at the cabin until the sheets of snow were pouring down so heavily it was impossible to see anymore.

"No," Draco answered sarcastically. "We're flying."

"We're going to die," she said blandly.

He smirked at her taking the lead into the cold, allowing her to follow. "Guess the sun never came up for you this morning."

Ginny stared at her feet, following in the tracks Draco was making ahead of her. "There's never any sun in this place."

Draco didn't answer but merely continued on.

They trudged through the snow silently for a while, long enough that Ginny was frozen to the tip of her toes, before she finally asked, "Where are we going." But she was devoid of so much strength that the phrase came out sounding more like a comment than a question.

"I told you," he muttered. "We're trying to find a way out."

"But the snow is coming down so hard and fast I can't even see!"

"Hm," he said. "That sucks."

Ginny laughed hoarsely. "Tell me, exactly what makes you so sure we're even going in the right direction? Isn't it more likely that we aren't?"

"Well god Weasley, right now just because of you I suddenly think I'm _not_ going in the correct direction."

Ginny turned her head surprised, "Why?" Was he really going to listen to her? Should she tell him she thought they should just go back to the cabin?

His eyes flickered to her for a moment, "Because I'm not walking away from you."

Ginny opened her mouth and, for what she felt was the millionth time since she had been here, closed it again. "Draco." Her voice sounded choked. Hoarse, as though when the word came halfway out of her mouth she had attempted to shove it back down again. This was supposed to be the same person who had been so humanely to her the day before.

He looked at her.

"Why..." she grinded her teeth. "Why are you like that?"

His expression didn't change. He just continued looking at her, daring her to turn away.

She wouldn't.

"Like what?" His tone was mocking.

"Cold. Cruel." Ginny sighed. "I don't know."

"Surprise, surprise."

"See!?" She cried out. "Whenever we get on the topic of you, you just... You turn into someone else!"

"I don't turn into someone else, Ginny. I turn into me." His voice was calm now, level and eerie. "This is who I am."

"It is not," she contradicted. "You're different sometimes..." She wanted to say, 'You even smiled at me yesterday' but it would have sounded ridiculous. "Why can't you be like that all the time?"

"Well, I don't come from a family that has picnics on the weekends and gives hugs every day."

Ginny shook her head. "We're not like that."

"Who ever said I was talking about you?" he snarled. "I'm just saying that maybe I'm the way I am because I _have_ to be."

"Why!? Because you're scared?" Ginny called from behind him.

"No!" Draco shouted. "I'm not _scared_, Weasley. It's just how I deal."

"Deal with what?"

"People like _you_."

"That is such a lie."

"You wish."

"It's how you deal with life, isn't it Draco?" He said nothing, but walked on. "You've always been alone. And you've always been in pain--"

He kicked roughly at the snow. "Shut the fuck up, Weasley. The last thing I need is you as my counselor."

"But--"

"I said leave me alone."

Ginny licked her lips, determined. "Draco I--"

"GOD DAMMIT WEASLEY, CAN'T YOU TAKE A HINT?" He stopped and whirled around to face her.

Ginny's eyes widened. She hated the way he screamed at her, the way it brought a sensation through ribs, and the way it made her throat close up and her eyes water. And the last thing she felt like doing was giving in again.

"I am so sick of you!" she screamed, stopping as well so they were face to face. "We aren't ever going to get out of this place if you keep arguing with me!"

"If you had kept your fat trap shut then we wouldn't have been arguing in the first place." He turned and started walking again but Ginny didn't move.

She heard a faint pounding in her ears. "If you weren't such an arse I wouldn't have had to say anything."

Draco stopped in his tracks, and again looked at her. "I'm a what, Weasley? Well what the hell are you still doing with an arse like me, because god knows I don't want to be here with you."

He was daring her to get into another row, but she held her head higher. "You're right, I don't know what I am doing with you."

He laughed lightly. "All right. So why don't you just go on your way without me."

Malfoy was being sarcastic, and at that moment Ginny wanted nothing more than to prove herself to him. "Okay, I will!"

"See how well you can do by yourself."

"Way better than landing myself stranded in a blizzard," she snapped. It wasn't the truth. She may have hated him, but she still wanted him there. She needed him with her.

"Weasley, you really want to go off on your own?" he smirked, sure of himself.

No! Her mind screamed. "Yes," Ginny answered bravely.

Draco laughed at her. "Where are you going to go?"

"Wherever you don't."

The smile fell from his face and was replaced with anger. He wasn't sure why. "Fine."

Draco turned left.

"Fine!" she shouted after him, wanting to cry.

Ginny turned right.

* * *

Draco took the opposite route from Ginny now feeling more pissed off than ever. He should have wanted her gone, but what the hell good could they do when they were separated? One of them was probably going to die...

It was going to be her. "Moron," he muttered to himself, but he couldn't help but throw his head over his shoulder to look for her. Had she been only two feet away, however he still wouldn't have known, the snow was falling in such thick icy sheets.

Draco kept his eyes on the path ahead, concentrating on taking longer strides to warm himself up. He was wearing an undershirt, long sleeve shirt, flannel shirt, hooded sweatshirt, and jacket but might as well have been walking naked. The cold seemed to have been coming from the inside, icing up his veins, and fogging up his senses.

Finally Draco knew it was time to turn back when he saw a mirage. "I'm going mad," he mumbled, squinting up ahead at what looked like black smoke. "Dreaming of warm fires...I...I..._Aarrghh_!" Draco had walked right forward onto a sloping hill, and started tumbling down, bringing practically an avalanche with him.

He clawed at the snow, grasping for a bit of earth underneath and finally about halfway down the small mountain, his hand came in contact with a large rock and he used it to pull the rest of him steady into a sitting position.

Draco looked up as he began to brush himself off. "Holy..." he muttered a foul curse word under his breath, and then a few more.

There were raging fires on the ground at the end of the mountain and two cabins; very similar to the one Ginny and Draco had just left. For a fleeting moment Draco would have thought he had reached another life form but what he saw around the fire were forms lower than life...

Death eaters, two of them, and Draco had no doubt that inside one of those cabins was probably the leader of them both....

He scrambled up, and jogged up the mountain, actually working up a sweat almost forgetting about the icy coldness. He slipped every so often but continued on, not letting the thick snow blur his one destination:

To find Ginny.

* * *

"You're such a moron," Ginny whispered to herself as she parted from Draco. What was she going to do without him? She would never find a way out on her own, and she'd never be able to get back to the cabin by herself. She was stuck, more stranded than she had been inside the cabin.

She walked on becoming more tired by the instant. Every time she tried to swallow it felt like icicles were closing in on her throat.

After what must have been almost an hour every part of her ached, as though her bones had frozen together, melded as one. Her arms sagged down on her like extra weights and the snow covering the ground was looking more and more to her like a cozy blanket.

"Don't be stupid," she muttered, but even with that she felt her legs buckling beneath her as she collapsed into the icy coldness, her last ounce of strength draining from her completely.

* * *

Shit, Draco thought. Where could she have gone? What if she was heading straight for them? Draco continued trudging through the snow, afraid to call out her name in fear of giving away his location to the death eaters.

"Shit, shit, shit..." he muttered. He had been searching for an hour, he was sure. She could be anywhere.

Draco saw something up ahead. A large rock, or a pile of wood or something. He would just sit down, and calmly try to collect himself.

But as he got closer he noticed the pile was looking less and less like a rock. It was...flaming red...

"Ginny." Draco sprinted towards her body sprawled out onto the snow. "Ginny," he whispered again. He bent down, as she opened her eyes very slowly. Little flakes of snow had frozen on her eyelashes. Her lips were ghostly blue.

She swallowed a few times, and when she opened her mouth all she could manage was a few hoarse coughs before her teeth chattered out of control.

Without thinking, Draco tore off his jacket and sweatshirt leaving only his flannel shirt on. He draped them over her, before pulling her up into a sitting position.

"What happened?" he tried to sound very calm but he could feel a muscle in his jaw ticking. "Ginny."

She shook her head, clinging to the new clothes. "C-c-abin, D-Draco."

"You want to go back?"

She nodded fiercely.

How was he supposed to tell her? She looked on the brink of death. If they went back to the cabin then they risked passing a death eater. But if they stayed where they were...

Slowly Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny before heaving her up and cradling her in his arms. He stood up, and tried unclogging his memory to remember how to get back to where they had begun.

Ginny's legs swung back and forth lifelessly with each movement they took, and when Draco took care to look down at her he noticed her head curled into the crook of his arm and her eyes closing.

He trudged on, looking out for both the cabin, and any sign of life, but barely ever being able to take his eyes off her face. Because, _Christ_, he thought,_ she was beautiful_.

* * *

"Home sweet home," Draco mumbled barely being able to kick the door open, being completely drained of any strength. "Ginny you...you lie..." he gently laid her on his bed, and put the covers over her, tucking her in gently. "Here, I'm going to get some firewood..." he took one last look at her, and her eyes flew open.

For just a second her eyes met him but she said nothing before closing them again.

She was inside now, lying in Draco's bed; breathing the distinct scent of him on the pillow. What was this feeling inside of her? Coldness. Yes, she was very cold. But she didn't feel it at all when he was outside holding her. She shivered at the gust of wind that met her before the sound of a slamming door. Then Draco stood before her again; an orange glow shone from the other room.

"Do you want to lie closer to the fire?"

She shook her head.

"Are you warm here?"

"No."

"Then you'll lay by the fire."

"No."

"Weasley, then what do you want?"

If she had had the strength she would have bitterly pointed out that even when she threatened death, he was still annoyed with her. "Stay."

"Ginny."

"Please." She must have been delirious. He sat down on the edge of the bed. She took his hand.

He stared at it for a moment. "You're freezing." She squeezed his hand tighter, gently pulling him down on the bed next to her.

"Get under the covers with me."

It was the first full sentence she had said to him. He opened his mouth at the statement, trying to tell her no way in hell, but before he could protest he found himself reluctantly maneuvering himself under the sheets, and Ginny had immediately clung to him. Her body was curled towards him, her left hand still grabbing his. Her other hand lie under the head that was resting on his chest.

Draco stayed stiff, even the hand she was holding he barely grasped back. But her body shook, and her teeth chattered. She was going to die if he didn't find a way to warm her up.

He wrapped his arms around her, still clasping her hand. He buried his head into her wild array of hair.

"I'm s-sorry."

It took him a second to find a way to reply. "For what?"

She maneuvered herself enough to look up at him. "Leaving before. I'm sorry I s-said what I d-did."

A feeling suddenly came over Draco that made him sick. She was apologizing; when she could barely speak she was so cold, for something that was his fault. And it was an immense feeling flowing through him. She still hadn't turned away.

"No," he whispered hoarsely, he let one of his hands play with the ends of her hair, before bringing it up to her neck. Draco pulled her down to him, and his eyes locked with hers for a second before he tenderly tasted her lips. They were cold at first, but sweet and slightly warming up to him. He started demanding more of the kiss, wanting to taste every bit of her mouth that already was allowing him entry. Ginny moved over him a little her fingers playing with his in the hand she was holding. And then gently, Ginny broke away.

"Yes," she said lightly.


	6. Male Instinct

A/N: A little late, I know, I'm very sorry. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and new year, and I hope you enjoy this.

I apologize for the version of this chapter I had out for the previous few days. It had a line break in the wrong spot, and was missing punctuation because I guess fanfiction's document manager thought it would be fun to get rid of all my punctuation that was in quotes.So I fixed that, I hope, but it also isn't letting me double space, or indent...if anyone knows howI can get this to work, please, please tell me, I would greatly appreciate it!

Disclaimer: Check chapter 1.

* * *

Ginny rolled over in bed, only a dazed remembrance of what had happened to her the night before. She tried sitting up, her head hurt a little, but mostly she was fine. Ginny almost felt happy, but she wasn't quite sure why. 

Thinking for a moment, Ginny recalled what had transpired. She collapsed, and he...he had saved her. Ginny closed her eyes. She tried to take herself back to how it felt being carried in his arms. Wonderful. But it was something else, more than Draco's arms...more than the way he laid her in his bed.

Ginny looked down at herself. Draped over her, besides the many covers, were Draco's jacket and sweatshirt. She sat up, and pulled his sweatshirt on. It was so big and comfortable over her slight frame. She breathed in deeply, and licked her lips. The scent seemed to reawaken her. Oh, she knew now.

He had kissed her.

She smiled, wrapping her oversized sweatshirt arms around herself. It was so nice, how could she have forgotten? Ginny got up, and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at the sight of herself in his sweatshirt. God, it smelled so good.

Quietly, Ginny opened the door and walked tentatively to the other room, a finger to her lips as if trying to see if they felt any different. "Hi," she said lowly as she saw Draco sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

He mumbled something Ginny assumed was a greeting, and she went to sit down next to him. He made no movement. "How are you feeling?"

"Better..." Ginny picked at a loose thread on the blanket she had pulled over herself. "Warmer."

Draco nodded but still hadn't looked at her.

"Thanks for bringing me back." She thought of how he had climbed into bed with her. How he tucked her in, and held her hand. The way his lips felt against hers... "And well...for..."

His voice was dry. "Well what else was I supposed to do?"

Ginny breathed in deeply, not holding back an annoyed huff. "You could have left me. You didn't. Thank you."

"Damn right you should thank me," he muttered.

Ginny's insides froze and she felt that familiar cold feeling come creeping back up her chest into her ribcage and then frosting up her lungs. "Excuse me?" She choked out.

"I said," Draco snarled, ignoring Ginny's hard stare as he glared into the fire, "You are _damn right_. Which is more than I can say for 99 percent of the time you open your mouth."

The happiness she had felt before drained out of her. "You're right, Draco, I am right in thanking you. But is it so hard for you to offer a simple you're welcome in return?"

He laughed bitterly and finally turned to meet her gaze. "No," he said slowly. "No, Weasley, you're not _welcome_ to me saving you from you're idiocy. In fact you won't find yourself so lucky if another situation—"

"I was cold! I—"

"_If another situation arises_—"

"I collapsed! Is that—?"

"Where you are so _moronic_ to l—"

Ginny jumped up in rage. "IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND? I WAS HELPL—"

Draco laughed. He stood up, and laughed at her. "Helpless. _Helpless_. Why is it you were helpless again?" Ginny's lower lip trembled slightly, and she bit down on it. Hard. "Because you didn't stay with me, Weasley. You thought you were better than me, so you went on your own." In his eyes there was a darkness, a sense of superiority, and something evil lurking inside him. "Idiot," he said.

Ginny put a hand over her mouth. She suddenly couldn't believe she let it touch his. She couldn't believe he could talk to her like this, couldn't believe she thanked him, or that she ever, _ever _thought she could actually _not _hate him. Because she did. She _hated _him.

"Don't you_ ever _assume that you're better than me, Weasley." He laughed. "The next time that you act like such a moron that you think you're _better_ than me, I guarantee you will die from it."

There were two beats of ringing silence following this statement in which Ginny never broke contact with this person, whom she did not want to know anymore, standing in front of her. Her voice quivered as she spoke. "When being a better person means leaving someone to _die_ because it benefits yourself," she gritted her teeth, "then I swear to god Malfoy, I will kill myself instead of having to see that happen."

Shaking, Ginny stood up and calmly walked into the bedroom. She paused at the door. "Happy Christmas Draco." Then slammed it shut.

* * *

"Damn it," Draco muttered as hestared at the closed door. It glared back at him. "Shit." 

He muttered a few more colorful words as he heard Ginny's muffled sobs escape through the door.

He didn't really know why he blew up at her. On _Christmas. _Merlin, he forgot. He had strong suspicion it was because he was trying to pretend he wasn't having all these feelings for her. He was trying to pretend he could just avoid telling her about the death eaters the more he fought with her. Trying to pretend that he was unaware of how much he adored kissing her last night.

And how much he wanted to do it again.

Draco took a step closer to the door, groaned and whirled around running his hands through his hair. This was _Ginny_. He couldn't be acting like this. She pissed the hell out of him. He walked across the room and sat down at the table. He hated her. Well for the most part. He put his head in his hands. He didn't really hate the way she bit her lip whenever she was nervous. That bit was kind of cute.

"Stop it," he muttered, banging his head against the table. What normal guy wouldn't want to kiss her again? She was beautiful. Guys just like kissing pretty girls. There's nothing wrong with that. She was annoying, and too damn innocent for him to actually like her. Draco picked his head up off the table, looking out the frosted window. He could chalk this all up to male instinct. And he would. He did. He didn't like her. But in spite of coming to this conclusion, Draco's legs were carrying him to a place where he still wasn't quite sure what he was doing there.

Draco held up an arm, and made a fist. He brought it close to the bedroom door. His knuckles had just brushed the wood surface, when the door swung open.

Draco opened his mouth about to say something but abruptly closed it at the look on Ginny's face. "You," she said with pure loathing as if she had been expecting to see someone else when she opened the door. "I figured you had left. I was coming out to steal all the food." She was no longer wearing his sweatshirt, but her golden-brown sweater.

Draco's arm was still in the air, prepared to knock and when he realized this he quickly dropped it. "Where would I have gone?"

"I _hoped_ you would have gotten so pissed that you'd _leave _to try to find a way out and leave me here. And when that failed, and it would have," her eyes, red from crying, glared daggers at him, "you would have come back and all the food would be gone." She seemed pleased with this plan, and with a sick smile she added, "And then you would die." She looked considerably happier.

Draco nodded. "And then I would have come in the bedroom and stolen it back."

Ginny shook her head, looking angry again. "Well I would have locked the door."

Draco swallowed. "Right." They stared at each other for another moment. This was the weirdest conversation he'd ever had with her, especially after a huge fight. And those seemed to happen frequently. She was still standing in the doorway.

So was he.

He was four inches from her face.

He swallowed again. Three inches.

Ginny licked her lips. Two inches.

He put a hand to her face, curled a piece of hair behind her ear, and leaned up against her. He breathed deeply. They were less than an inch apart. "I'm sorry," he whispered against her ear, and Ginny's breath hitched.

She opened her mouth to say something but he didn't give a damn. He didn't care. He didn't want to hear it. For one moment, he felt his lips brush against hers. And in the next moment he was knocked backwards with impressive force.

"_Don't_," Ginny snapped. She looked ready to kill.

Draco steadied himself. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

"I don't want you to _ever _put your mouth on mine, _ever _again, Malfoy."

Draco groaned, rubbing his forehead. "It's just a kiss, Weasley, not an effing life commitment."

"I don't care! You took advantage of me last night, and I don't want you to do it again!"

Draco's mouth dropped. "You make it sound like we did it, Weasley. I _kissed _you. You _kissed _me. You're not pregnant are you?"

Ginny laughed dryly. "Ha ha. Very _funny_. I think it's so _hilarious_ that you acted like you didn't remember kissing me last night when I talked to you this morning, and now when you want to kiss me again, you'll jolly well discuss it! You think you can always get what you want!"

Draco ran his hands through his hair, "What is it with you? You are the most infuriating woman I've ever met! I save your life, and you throw a huge fit and run out of the room, then _I _come to apologize to _you_, and you think I'm taking advantage of you!"

"Oh, you're so noble, Draco! You didn't even mean that apology, you just wanted to kiss me again!"

"What!" Draco threw his hands in the air. "Don't flatter yourself, the apology was not any ploy to kiss you, Weasley. You were standing close to me, it was instinct."

"Oh, instinct, is that all? And was that it last night too? Instinct?"

He shrugged. "Yeah," he said easily.

For a moment, she looked completely deflated. "Fine," she mumbled, holding her head up. "Good, try to resist your _instincts _from now on, okay?" She walked over to the kitchen cabinet and rummaged through it.

He stayed rooted to the spot. He still hadn't moved by the time Ginny had found what she was looking for and walked back into the bedroom, a bag of chips clutched in her hand. She looked at him, shook her head and had almost slammed the door in his face again, but she stopped midway.

"What? What is it? You look possessed."

Draco wanted to snap at her, but he knew that every time he did wasn't going to make him not have to tell her, he was just prolonging it. His eyes flew to hers.

"What?" Color drained from her face. "What is it? This isn't about...last night, or just now, is it?"

Draco shook his head. "No, Ginny. It's...slightly worse."

Ginny put the chips on the dresser, and wiped her palms against her jeans. He knew he was making her nervous, but it was nothing compared to how she'd be in a few moments. She walked back into the other room. "Well, what is it then? No more firewood or something?"

"No."

"Well, _what_?" Ginny snapped.

Christ, she was annoying. He licked his lips. "There's...something you don't know."

He saw the irritation flicker out of her eyes. It was replaced with something new, something he wasn't sure of. "Is it...Is it bad?" And then he realized, it was fear.

She chewed on her bottom lip.

It was becoming steadily harder for Draco to look into her eyes. She was so full of innocence, and though she had experienced the impact of death eaters and Voldemort with her family and through her brother's death she had never known what it was like to be directly threatened by him. To be his direct target. Draco realized the second he told her it was going to change everything. And for just one more moment, he wanted her to not know.

"Yes, Ginny," he said.

"How bad?" She searched his eyes, and through his pained expression she must have read it. "It's...Voldemort, isn't it?" Her voice quavered slightly as she uttered the name. It took Draco a moment to realize he still wasn't speaking. "We're not going to win this if you don't tell me," she whispered.

"I don't think we're going to win, Ginny."

Ginny raised her chin with determination. She took a step closer to him. He could breathe her in. "Yes," she said steadily. "We are."

Draco was so amazed that she could just turn into this new person, devoid of fears, that he forgot what he was about to tell her. It was almost impossible, how many layers she was comprised of. He shook his head, he had been living with her for days, but he was only just beginning to learn her.

Draco suddenly couldn't take it anymore, he just wanted to tell her; he just wanted it to be over with. "When we were trying to escape," he said slowly, "I came across an entire campsite of death eaters."

"Death eaters," Ginny repeated numbly.

"I saw them yesterday."

"Yesterday." She licked her lips. "An entire campsite of death eaters. You—I mean, you're sure?"

He nodded.

Ginny staggered backwards slightly. Her back hit the cold wall, and she sank to the floor. Blankly, she stared at the other side of the cabin. Draco sat down next to her.

"Was Voldemort there?"

"I didn't see him."

Ginny felt a hot swoop of anger, knowing he knew whether he saw him or not. Her voice came out harshly. "Was he there, Malfoy?"

He said nothing for a long time, almost a minute until finally, closing his eyes he said lowly, "Yes, Ginny."

Draco heard the sound of her head rolling against the wood to face him. "He wants us dead, doesn't he?" her voice was dry as she bore her gaze into him with haunted eyes.

Malfoy breathed in sharply, looking away. When he went to open his mouth he found his voice was raw.

Wordlessly Ginny turned away.

She had already known the answer.

* * *

There was a cold air in the cabin. Draco and Ginny could both feel it. This air was not the result of the weather, as was usually the case. This cold, dead air was the knowledge that every minute that passed brought them closer to what was seemingly looking more and more inevitable to them. 

Ginny had herself locked up in the bedroom since her talk with Draco. She hadn't moved from his bed. She stared at the ceiling. She counted the cracks. 73. She squinted, 74.

She rolled over, and sobbed.

On the opposite side of the door, Draco lit a fire. He stood up and looked around; taking in the environment he had tried to create. The moth-eaten bed sheets he had found in the back of the closet spilled over the table like a waterfall. The addition of the two candles he had pulled out from underneath the sink gave the room an orange glow that with the fire, already seemed to warm up some of the stale air he had felt before.

He even had to stare almost happily at the two bowls of steaming tomato soup he had heated over the stove. The wafting aroma seemed to liven up the house a bit more, and that with the water-filled champagne glasses he had found in the cabinet over the sink, added a nice touch.

Draco walked over to the door where he could hear her crying. He walked in, not bothering to knock, because he had done that before, and she hadn't answered.

Ginny sat upright, and wiped furiously at her eyes. "Get out," she whispered.

"I have to show you something."

"Oh, what now?" She snarled. "Is Voldemort standing at the front door?" Draco said nothing. Ginny shook her head. "Sorry, I...I shouldn't have...that was..."

"I don't care," he said. "Get up."

Ginny considered him. "I really don't feel like it," she said wearily.

"I don't care," he said again. "Come on, Ginny."

She sighed, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Fine," she mumbled. He led her out of the bedroom.

He walked over to the table, not daring to turn around to see her reaction. Draco knew she was well in the room by now, he could feel her near him, but he still heard no sound from her. He turned to find her a few steps behind him. In a half trance, she stared at what was in front of her.

"Draco...this..." Her chocolate eyes were so wide. "I can't believe..." She took a few steps closer, and fingered the red and green sheets he had draped as tablecloths. She swallowed hard. "Oh my god..."

"It's not much," he muttered. "I mean, it's not Christmas dinner with your family. But it's— "

Ginny had lurched forward, her eyes shining, grasping him in a hug. "Thank you, Draco." He didn't really know what to do, having never been hugged like this before. He only had sense enough to lightly hold her, before she let go. "I mean it," she said, as she sat down. "Thank you."

Draco said nothing, but merely sat down too. He watched apprehensively, as Ginny tried the soup. He briefly wondered if there had been an expiration date on that can.

"Mmm," Ginny closed her eyes as she brought the spoon to her mouth. "This is delicious, Draco."

He laughed. He knew she was lying. "It's only soup."

"But you made it," she said. "And I think it's marvelous."

The flickering light of the candle was reflecting in her eyes. It gave them this caramel color he loved. Draco held up the champagne glass. "Happy Christmas, Ginny."

She tilted her head to the side, as though trying to decide whom this stranger across from her was. She laughed a little, and nodded, clinking her glass with his. "Happy Christmas, Draco."

And though it was only water, Ginny decided nothing she had ever sipped before had tasted so deliciously wonderful.


	7. Familiar Faces

Author's Note: I owe you all an apology and an explanation. I'm very sorry about how long this took, and the truth is I really wasn't that busy at all. Just bored with this story and frustrated by my writing. I came back to it because I still have an idea of where I'm taking this story, I just don't know if I can write it well enough in that direction. Anyways here is the long overdue chapter 7, which I hope you like more than previous chapters, or in the very least, just as much.

Disclaimer: Chapter 1 says it all.

* * *

"Well do you have any _better _ideas, Weasley?" Argument number seven hundred and eighty-four was now beginning to surface between Ginny and Draco not long after sunrise on Boxing Day. Ginny opened her mouth but Draco quickly cut in, "And staying in the cabin is not an option."

"Why not?" She said coolly. "I'd like to think it a little safer than your idea."

"Yeah, you'd 'like to think' all right. You'd like to, but you won't try. Well that's all right Weasley, thinking was never one of your strong suits," Malfoy regarded her with disdain, "it's best you don't even attempt."

Ginny stood by the kitchen table, looking out the window. She considered the blizzard conditions outside. "I _am _thinking," she snarled, teeth gritted. She threw Draco a look of hatred as he stood by the fire. "A little more logically than you! We can't leave the cabin! We don't know any way out, and we could run into death eaters—"

"Good," Malfoy snapped. He crossed the room to face her. "I hope we find them. They'll be our only way out. If we confront Volde—"

"Oh yeah, we'll get out then," Ginny hissed. "Sent straight back home, our remains wrapped in a nice little parcel!"

"So therefore the logical idea is to stay in the cabin?"

"Right."

"And die."

Ginny's eyes met Draco's sharply. "No—"

Malfoy shook his head, interjecting, "Don't you get it, Weasley? _No one is going to find us_. No one knows where we _are_."

Ginny didn't look at him. "People are looking for me," she whispered.

"I'm sure you're hoping _wonder boy_ will swoop in here on his golden broom and save the day," Malfoy said dryly, "But _Potter _isn't_—_"

"Shut up!" Her hands shook, as she looked at him with fire. "Don't say it, Malfoy. Don't you talk about him." Ginny swallowed hard and tried to keep herself together. If there was anyone that she never wanted to hear Draco even refer to, it was Harry. Too much had happened with him. He had been her first love. He had saved her life when she was eleven, given her her first kiss at fifteen, and told her he loved her at sixteen. She would never forget when he went to war. How things had ended between them... She had gotten over Harry Potter as he had with her, but in the back of her mind she wondered if he was trying to save her still. "Don't even mention him."

Malfoy smirked. "Loverboy isn't coming for you, Weasel. I'm afraid he has better things to do like pose for Witch Week—"

"Shut up Malfoy, I swear to god!" Ginny held up her wand, but Draco snatched it out of her hand.

"Magic doesn't work in this cabin, Weasley. Did you forget so quickly?" He twirled her wand between his fingers as she looked up at him with loathing. "If it had I surely would have cursed you the hell out of here—"

"I bet you would have, Malfoy! Funny thing is, you've been too distracted with kissing me!"

He froze. "Well, what the hell else are you good for?" Malfoy tossed the wand back in her face, and Ginny watched it fall to the floor, noticing still that his words barely pierced her. She had a funny feeling that a few days ago what he said would have affected her differently, but it was interesting. Somehow now, she hardly believed him.

"Don't you think," she said slowly, "that your father is looking for you?"

The look in his eyes faltered for just a moment as Ginny reverted back to her argument. He looked at her for a second. "I have a feeling my dad was one of the death eaters I saw out there."

Ginny's lips parted slightly. "No," she said, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "He wouldn't – you're his son."

"No," Draco muttered. "As far as he's concerned, I'm not." Draco licked his lips, not in any mood for Ginny's sudden pity. "Listen," he said. "I know it's a risk, but we have to go find them. I can't stay here and wait to die." He ran his hands through his hair. "I'd like to know I had a chance."

Ginny's eyes locked with his in determination but Draco broke contact, walking towards the bedroom. Ginny breathed deeply, "Wait." She stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "I'm coming with you."

"Aren't you _scared_, Weasley?" he drawled.

She held up her chin. "To death. But we're in this together," she said firmly. "Like it or not."

Malfoy's eyes met hers; he pulled her to him, both hands on her waist. Ginny had begun to say his name but Draco cut her off, pressing his lips to hers, staggering, guiding her back to the wall. Ginny opened her mouth slightly as she felt her back slam against the solid wood, kissing him more deeply. He was so close to her, she could feel him. _Really_ feel him. It sent shivers up and down her spine.

Draco stepped back. He smirked, as Ginny held on to him still, afraid she might collapse. Her eyes met his almost drunkenly; "You sure use me for all I'm good for."

Malfoy laughed lightly as she mocked his words. "Might as well, as long as you're here."

Ginny stood on her tiptoes, leaning in close. "No," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. "Something is happening here."

"Yes, Ginny," he muttered. Ginny's breath quickened when he met her eyes, his face mere inches from hers, "We're kissing." She knew he meant to say, 'and that's all' but the funny thing was, he didn't. "If you're coming with me, get your coat." Malfoy stepped back, and turned, walking to the bedroom to get his own jacket.

Knees weak, Ginny sunk to the floor. A coat? It was funny, at that moment she felt as though she needed to take a few layers _off_.

* * *

"You're dragging."

"I am not _dragging_, Malfoy," Ginny said through gritted teeth as she plowed painfully through the snow.

Malfoy did not look back at her. It was true, Ginny was falling behind, but how could she not? They both were running on borrowed energy. Their diet consisted of stale chips, crackers, and soup. She was starving, every movement hurt, and she was _so _cold, _so _frail, and _so _thin. How could Malfoy stand it?

With deep breaths, Ginny trudged on trying to determine how long before they came to the campsite, until she remembered to be in no hurry to get there. It was not normal to be anticipating a confrontation with death eaters, but all her options seemed pretty dark when she considered. She could stay in the cabin and starve. Be where she was, exhausted, and freeze to death, or go to the death eater campsite and be murdered.

"Draco," she mumbled. "Slow down." She tried to double up her steps but her feet got caught beneath her and she wobbled helplessly before collapsing face first into the snow.

"God damn it, Weasley!" Malfoy ran back to her. "Get up! Damn it, _get up_!" Ginny groaned. "I don't care if you fucking ache. You don't see me on the ground!" Ginny pushed at the snow in blind effort to pull herself up but her hands sank beneath the surface. Malfoy stared down at her with disgust. "The snow has finally let up. We could be making progress but look at you! You're useless."

His words rang in her ears. Ginny concentrated all her energy on this one task of heaving herself up off the ground. Her hands shook, clawing at the snow and her knees wobbled dangerously beneath her. "Useless," Ginny muttered, a hand to her head as she pulled herself up slowly. "And yet you came back for me."

She didn't look at him when she staggered past.

They walked they rest of the way to the campsite in silence. Every so often Draco would stop, look around as if remembering something, and continue on. The minutes ticked painfully slow, and when Ginny was sure that it had been hours and hours since they had left the cabin, she was tempted to ask Draco if he knew where they were going at all, or if this entire trip was just one big guess. Ginny had opened her mouth when she noticed Draco had again stopped, but when she enclosed the distance between them she noticed they were standing dangerously close to the end of what seemed to be a massive glacier.

"Holy..." Ginny put a hand to her mouth. She and Draco were looking over what were unmistakably the grounds for some sort of death eater hideout.

For moments, not a word was said; finally Ginny heard her name uttered in what was just a hoarse whisper. She turned to Draco. "Are you ready?"

"I guess," she whispered. Malfoy looked down at her, "Well I have no choice, do I?"

"We both don't. Come on."

"Don't you have a plan?" Ginny cried as Malfoy began his careful and slightly unsteady traipse down the mountain.

"This," he said. "This was my plan."

"We'll get caught," Ginny said desperately. "We'll..."

"I know." Malfoy held out his hand. "Ginny, we have to find them. If we don't, we're dead already."

"Malfoy I'm..."

"Weasley, would you hurry up!"

"I'm scared," she whispered.

And for a moment, Malfoy said nothing, but suddenly, arm still outstretched, he took her hand. "I know, Ginny." And as they climbed down together it occurred to Ginny that that was all the comfort he could offer her, because he was scared too.

* * *

It seemed to Ginny that for _wanting_ to be caught by death eaters, Draco had become awfully cautious. The long bitter struggle down the icy mountain led them only to two small cabins; identical to the one they had just left. Inching around the back of both cabins and peering inside dusty windows only showed them shabby, abandoned interiors. The entire surrounding area in fact held no sign of life. Ginny rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Draco..."

In immediate response he shot at her, "Don't start with me, Weasley."

Ginny kicked at the snow. "I wasn't going to say—!"

"I know that there were death eaters here," Malfoy interjected firmly. "I know what I saw."

"And I believe you!" She threw up her hands in exasperation. "All I was going to say was that maybe the cabins are just bewitched, so that anyone looking in from the outside sees it as abandoned, but on the inside... It's something entirely different." Ginny walked around the side of the first cabin, and stood in front of the door. "I mean, what if we..."

Draco stood beside her. They both looked apprehensively at what stood before them. "You want to go in?"

"I well don't _want _to," she huffed. "But there's no point in being here if we don't."

Malfoy faced her. "Good idea, Weasley," he said smoothly, drawing his arm out in front of him. "Ladies first."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Oh _ha ha_," she said sourly. "You're such a gentleman." Malfoy nodded smugly, and Ginny's hands shook as she reached in front of her for the brass knob.

On the opposite side of the door however, someone beat her to it. Ginny looked at Malfoy fearfully as the knob began to turn under her fingertips. She pulled her arm back at once as the door swung open.

Malfoy caught her arm the moment Ginny stumbled backwards, his eyes never moving from the familiar face of the tall hooded figure that stood before them.

Ginny swallowed, her voice shaking. "Hello Ron," she said.


End file.
